She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fiber Arts from the Kansas City Art institute, and a Baster’s degree in art therapy at Southwestern College of Santa Fe. She has taught fine arts at IAIA and UNLV, and worked as a costume designer for the Santa Fe Opera. She also founded Native Uprising, a collective of Native American artists, designers, and models.

Throughout Ponca’s career as an artist, designer and educator, she has designed and shown her own lines that demonstrate her skills in draping, tailoring, beadwork, jewelry, silk-screen printing, ribbon work, body and textile painting.

Her work marries traditional elements like shells and buckskin with new materials like reflective Mylar, to reflect the Earth and Sky moieties of her Osage people. Her work is exhibited in museums across the US. Her vibrant ready-to-wear clothing line is available at wendyponca.com.

She has designed several blankets for Pendleton Woolen Mills, including a four-blanket limited edition series in 1995. Her latest is Morning Cradleboard, 2019’s addition to Pendleton’s Weavers Series.

This child-sized blanket uses a pattern inspired by finger-woven straps used to secure a baby in a traditional Osage cradleboard. Ponca often creates designs that are tactical by intent, offering Nature’s protection. In Osage, the cradleboard is called o-olo-psha, or “follow-trail-of-animals.” The cradleboard was the beginning of the Road of Life as followed by animals to water and food. People take this same path, beginning life as completely dependent, and working step-by-step to self-sufficiency. As the cradleboard protects the baby, this blanket surrounds a child with warmth and safety on the path to growing up.

Thunderbird is important to many tribes and nations. He is often a messenger and a protector who brings the power of storms and the renewal that follows. In Navajo culture, some legends say Thunderbird’s eyes are made of the sun. When Thunderbird sleeps, night comes. When Thunderbird wakes, sunrise begins. Southwest symbols for rain, sun, storms are governed by Thunderbird’s mighty wingspan and voice of thunder. He watches over the world with eyes that hold the sun.

There is also a hooded towel in this pattern, for after-bath snuggles. (see it here)

And while you’re at it, maybe Mom and Dad want a little Sunrise Eagle of their own?

Happy 2019! We are celebrating with photos shared by proud Pendleton-loving parents…and their adorable babies.

Wool is a fine choice for baby blankets. It’s natural, breathable, warm, lofty, and light. If you’ve ever touched one of our beautiful napped blankets, you know how soft they are. Above, Tiffany Galindo shows us some happiness on the newest Pendleton national park blanket – which celebrates Olympic National Park in Washington state.

This blanket also supports a good cause. The National Park Foundation receives a royalty from the purchase of each national park blanket. Pendleton and our partners have donated more than $700,000 so far to support critical restoration projects in our national parks.

Napping is a special mill process that brushes up wool fibers. This creates a softer surface, and more air pockets to hold warm air. In other words, napping wool doubles the cozy. Napping also makes wool easy to clean, as most soil doesn’t settle into the blanket–it brushes away. All the better for your little ones.